The road was dreadful to walk along, let alone drive on. It was coated with black ice and snow that people had attempted to clear away but had failed. It was piled along the sides of the road, and some had over-flowed back onto it. A few pine trees had been blown onto the side of the road, their tips just jutting out onto it. Eugene had to slow down in order to manoeuvre around them, and she could hear his shallow breaths, see how much he was concentrating and, though he would never admit it, how afraid he was. War they could handle, but black ice was a real killer.
Finally, they broke off the main road onto a narrower dirt one that ran alongside the woods. But that didn't help ease their nerves; no, far from it, it only increased them. She expected Eugene had never been this far into enemy territory, while it was a regular practice for Emilie. She knew the Germans, knew her people, knew, for the most part, where and when they would be patrolling. But medics weren't told that much to start with (she learnt most of her information from eavesdropping and flirtation) and, now that she had been away for so long, she knew even less. No doubt so much had changed, including their plans.
She stared into the trees for any dark shapes in the heavy fog as Eugene drove on, and she cursed the loud noise the jeep made. How the hell were they supposed to be sneaky with that racket giving them away? Oh, they really hadn't thought this through.
After several minutes of terror – Emilie worried more about Eugene's safety than her own – she finally recognised their surroundings. "Pull over," she instructed, voice barely more than a whisper. She didn't know why she even bothered keeping her voice down.
He looked over at her uncertainly before nodding and bringing the already creeping car to a halt, spraying up dirt and pebbles as they got caught in the tyres. "You'll be alright on your own from here?" he asked, voice also low so that it sounded a little husky. God damn. "I would walk you further, but… Somehow I don't think that would end well, for either of us."
Hesitating, she finally nodded and slid out of the seat, landing awkwardly and heavily on the road. Turning, she gathered up her crutches and slid them under her arms, limping around to face Eugene. She let out a sigh, smiling though she could tell he would see right through her façade. "Thank you, Gene," she murmured, feeling a strange aching in her chest at the prospect of leaving him to go back to the line. No. That was what she wanted. She glanced over her shoulder to the ominous-looking forest, that was filled with an eerie, unsettling quiet. She looked back. "Be careful on your way back. Wish me luck."
"Glad to help," he replied, and she could tell his muscles were tensed even through his bulky uniform. "It's what I'm here to do, but… Sometimes, I think I do the exact opposite." He looked down and she felt a flash of sympathy. She could relate to what he was feeling.
"Don't talk like that."
He looked up, eyes wide, the milky sunlight reflecting off of them. Emilie once again felt as though he could see directly into her soul. But they both seemed to realise that time was of the essence at the same time. "Why would you need me to wish you luck? You're going back to your own army."
Emilie didn't reply, simply blinked at him knowingly, before turning and making her way gingerly down the snow-covered slope at the side of the road. She could feel him watching her the entire way, to make sure she got down safely. When she did, and found herself knee-deep in freshly-fallen snow, she glanced back to salute him. He did the same. When she turned away and began to struggle deeper into the dark, gloomy forest where the light didn't seem to reach properly, she heard him start the engine, do a brisk U-turn and drive away until the rumble of the car disappeared into the distance and the jeep was swallowed up by the fog.
Now she was well and truly alone. Not even bird song accompanied her. She could see her breath. Half of her cursed herself for ever wanting to come back to this cursed, wretched, death-stricken place, but another felt like this was a home-coming. Oh, yes. Clearly, there was not a trace of sanity left in her petit body.
